Nathan Frazer has released a statement following his match against Ilja Dragunov on WWE SmackDown.
Dragunov successfully defended his United States Championship against Frazer on Fridayâ€s show after Frazer answered his open challenge.
Frazer released a statement about the match on Saturday, writing:
“Me and Ilja Dragunov had a match back on NXT in 2023… it left a really bitter taste in my mouth. Bell to bell, it barely lasted 5 minutes. Last night, I got that rematch Iâ€d been dying to have for the past two years. We went to war for the United States Championship on Smackdown. I didnâ€t get the win, but it really felt like vindication for that night.”
Their singles match on SmackDown was the third between the two. The first took place on the NXT UK brand, when Dragunov successfully defended the NXT United Kingdom Championship against Frazer on the March 3, 2022, taping in London. Their second meeting was the five-minute bout Frazer referenced in his statement, from the November 28, 2023, taping in Orlando.
Friday was Dragunovâ€s second defense of the U.S. title, after defeating Aleister Black on last weekâ€s episode. Following the bout, Tommaso Ciampa, who had also tried to answer Dragunovâ€s open challenge, attacked Frazer from behind. Axiom and Johnny Gargano then ran out, leading to a brawl.
Frazer’s statement is below:
Me and Ilja Dragunov had a match back on NXT in 2023… it left a really bitter taste in my mouth. Bell to bell, it barely lasted 5 minutes.
Last night, I got that rematch Iâ€d been dying to have for the past two years. We went to war for the United States Championship on… pic.twitter.com/xDy0ZrGJNR
— Nathan Frazer (@WWEFrazer) November 1, 2025
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Ian Carey
Ian Carey is a writer from Toronto, Ontario, Canada, whose work has been featured in NOW Magazine, The Huffington Post, and more. A lifelong wrestling aficionado born in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, he has covered the industry for a decade and a half. He joined the f4wonline.com team in 2019.
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